Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony happens next week, which puts the Cleveland institution on a lot of people’s minds this time of year.

Among of the outspoken critics of the Hall are KISS, a band that’s been eligible for induction since 1999, but has a lone nomination in 2010 to their name.

Last week, bassist Gene Simmons let loose on the Hall, telling Rolling Stone, "It's become a joke. We've been thinking about it and the answer is simply, 'We'll just buy it and fire everybody.'"

Now, Simmons and KISS take another shot at the Hall, telling ‘Showbiz Tonight’ that the fact they are not inducted “doesn’t matter because it [the Hall] has become a sham” said Simmons, “and because this is an insult to Madonna and all the other disco and rappers who have been inducted in there because now they can’t get into the Disco Hall Of Fame.” [Ed note: after some research, it appears that no such Hall exists.]

If the band were inducted, would they show up?

“Gladly,” says Paul Stanley, “because it means something to the fans. The fans want us in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame so, of course, we’ll do it for them.”

Stanley added, “but when you don’t even know who’s voting for these people, it’s a great marketing ploy: you have a bunch of people who came up with this title – ‘Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.’ Who are these people who do the voting? It’s obviously not the people, because when you look at some of the nominees you don’t even know who they are.”

Among the 2012 Rock Hall inductees are Guns N’ Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Small Faces/Faces, Donovan, The Beastie Boys and Laura Nyro.